1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods of paying winning bets against the house in a game of chance or a gambling activity and a payout calculation aid suitable for such methods.
In particular this invention is directed to a calculator which may be used in a game of chance or a gambling activity to assist in determining the value of a winning bet.
Reference will be made hereinafter to the game of roulette by way example, however such reference is not to be understood as limiting the invention to the game of roulette as the present invention may also be applied to other casino games or situations where it is necessary to undertake mathematical computations to determine winnings where bets are placed at various odds.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a game of roulette there may be a number of player""s bets on the table differentiated only by the colours of their playing chips. Some players may also be betting with cash chips which do not have an indication of the player betting them Betting chips may be placed in various locations on the table to signify the particular bet including the payout odds.
Prior to the close of bets on the spin of a roulette wheel, any single player can place bets on a number of stations designating one or more numbers on the wheel. However the croupier must be very vigilant to ensure that chips are not shifted after close of bets and before winning bets are paid. This necessitates that the croupier does not shift his attention away from the placed bets.
When paying winning bets the croupier will first pay the even chance bets, odds 1:1, and the double chance bets, odds 2:1. These are paid by distribution of the matching chips and being either the same quantity as placed or double the number, depending on the odds for the stations at which the bets are placed. The players themselves recover these chips from the table. Such low odds stations are typically arranged about the periphery of the table and may be referred to hereinafter as peripheral bets.
Subsequently the more complicated bets where each winning player may have chips arranged at different stations signifying different payout odds are calculated and paid sequentially to each winning player. Typically the player""s bet furtherest from the croupier is paid first as that player is the most difficult to monitor to ensure that their chips are not manipulated after the close of bets.
To effect a payout the croupier must preform a summation of totals arrived at by counting the number and/or value of chips at each respective station and multiplying that number and/or value by the odds for that station. At present this calculation is performed mentally by the croupier and as a result the calculation is subject to errors and challenges from players. Any such challenge stops further play until the matter has been cleared and this slows down the rate of play of games with obvious detrimental effects.
Furthermore, if the computation is disputed, there is no physical record of that computation to resolve any alleged discrepancy As the odds may be 35:1, 17:1, 11:1, 8:1, 6:1 or 5:1 the calculation can be relatively complex. In addition, management or other staff of the casino or similar gambling venue may not have any record upon which to settle a dispute which may arise over a payout
This invention aims to alleviate at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide a method of paying winning bets and/or aid for this purpose.
With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a method of paying winning bets against the house in a game of chance in which a player can have several bets at different odds, including:
providing a player""s display for displaying to the players the bets of a player including the total of each bet and its respective odds and the total payout to be returned to the player;
providing house input means for inputting a player designation, the total bet and its odds per winning bet and providing a further display at the input means for displaying the input values and the total payout to be paid to the designated player, whereby a house operative may input and check the input values and read the payout without the house operative diverting their attention from the bets; and
providing computation means linking the input means with the player""s display whereby upon the entering each respective winning bet the calculation of the total payout is performed and automatically displayed on the player""s display and at the house input means whereby the house may pay the win, and wherein the win is displayed on the player""s display for checking by the winning player.
If desired the player""s display and/or the house input means may also display the sub-totals for each winning bet which sum to the total payout for the win.
This method may be used for effecting winning payouts in such games as roulette or other casino type game in which multiple bets at different odds are permitted.
Preferably for the game of roulette the method includes:
paying peripheral bets by returning winning chips direct to the peripheral stations;
providing a player""s display for displaying to the players the bets of a player including the total number of chips played per winning station, the payout odds per winning station, and the total payout in chips and/or dollar value thereof to be returned to the player,
providing house input means for inputting the total number or value of chips played per each respective winning station, and providing a further display at the house input means for displaying the input values in a recognisable manner and the total winning payout in chips and/or dollar value thereof to be returned to the player, and the house input means and its associated display being configured whereby a croupier may input and check the input values and read the payout without turning away from the table, and providing computation means linking the house input means with the player""s display whereby, upon the croupier entering the number of chips or bet value for each respective winning station, the calculation of the win is performed and automatically displayed to the players. If desired the house input means and/or the player""s display may display the sub-totals for the respective winning stations which were summed to provide the total win. It is preferred that the house input means include designation means for designating the value of the chips of a respective player and suitably the house input means includes means for designating each player. Typically in the game of roulette the player designations are chip colours.
In another aspect this invention resides broadly in a payout calculation aid, including:
a data-input module for inputting bet totals against the bet odds for a winning bet; computation means for computing the winning bet input into the data-input module, and a display for displaying the win computed. It is preferred that the data input module include a display for displaying the winning bet to the croupier so that the croupier may effect a payout without first making a mental calculation of the win. However such mental computations may be retained and the computed win may be displayed only to the players as a means of checking win payouts.
In a typical embodiment of the invention the data-input module includes:
numeric keys zero to nine for inputting the bet totals; a bet key corresponding to an allowable bet in a gambling activity for which said calculator is being used; a screen to display the values input against an allowable bet and to display the winning bet total.
The win may be displayed in monetary value or in chip or token numbers or the like when such are used in the gambling activity. The data-input module may also include at least an identification key which can function as a player identification key and which suitably enables a simplification of the information necessary to be input for each particular player.
For example where a player is playing with chips or tokens having a selected value the identification key may enable that information to be input for the player whose win is being computed. Suitably the data-input module also includes a key to clear the screen in readiness for the calculation of the winnings of the next player or punter.
For the game of roulette each bet key may have indicia indicating the bet station odds and/or the bet station designation such as for example, straight, split street, corner, six line or first five. These designations can be displayed in the appropriate language of the country in which the calculator is being used. This and other keypad indicia may be tactile indicia so that a croupier or the like can identify the keys by feel. The keypad of the data input module may be fixed into the table and the display of the data input module may be remote from the keypad and mobile and/or hand held if desired so that the diversion of a players attention from the table is minimised.